Roof ventilator



Aug. 17, 1948.

G. W. DONLEY ROOF VENTILATOR Filed Jan. 4, 1947 d'QWZ JNVENTQR.

Patented Aug. 17, 1948 ROOF VENTILATOR George W. Donley, Cleveland,Ohio, assignor to The Donley Brothers Company, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application January 4, 1947, Serial No. 720,158

This invention relates to ventilators, and more particularly toventilators that are adapted for use with slanting roofs and has for itsprincipal object to provide a ventilator of this character which willenable the circulation of air through the roof openings with which itcooperates and which will reduce to a. minimum the ingress of rain,snow, or other moisture therethrough and thence through said opening.

I accomplish the foregoing object in and through the construction andarrangement of parts shown in the drawings hereof, wherein Fig. 1represents a perspective view of my ventilator and of the parts of theroof to which it is applied and with which it cooperates; Fig, 2 a frontelevational View of the ventilator shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 asectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Describing the various parts by reference characters, l denotessheathing boards of a roof of the slanting type and I I the shingles,which may be of wood, tile, slate or felt, and which are supported bythe said boards. l2 denotes side flashing members which are adapted tobe inserted beneath the shingles and which are secured to the sheathingboards I0, as by nails I3.

l4 denotesgenerally the rear sections and I l the front sections of theside members of the ventilator, the former of which are preferablyintegral with the side flashing members l2, which extend rearwardlybeyond the rear sections M with the extensions i of their rear endsoverlapped by the side edges of the transversely extending rear flashingmember l5 which is secured to the appropriate sheathing board as bymeans of nails It. The rear sections M extend forwardly and upwardly intriangular shape from the rear and side flashing members while the frontsections 14*, the upper edges of which are forwardly and upwardly andthen forwardly and downwardly curved, are secured to the upper portionsof the rear sections, the rear portions of the front sections beingshown as overlapped by the corresponding portions of the rear sectionsat l4 and the overlapping portions being united, as by spot welding.

It will be noted that the bottoms of the front sections are in a planesubstantially parallel with the plane of the front flashing member l8and are vertically spaced from the latter plane, for a purpose to bedescribed; also that the curvature of the upper edges of the forwardsections provides, with the roof or cover section of the ventilator andthe bafile means (to be described),

9 Claims. (Cl. 9842) 2 a front hood having a downwardly directeddischarge outlet at the front end thereof.

A front counter flashing member I! projects beyond the front edges ofthe rear sections l4 and is deflected downwardly at its rear and secured to the front flashing [8 to provide therewith a rearwardlyextending pocket or counter flashing for the reception of the shingles.The front flashing member I8 is overlapped at its rear by and. securedto the front ends of the side flashing members 12 as by spot welding andis secured to the sheathing board therebeneath, as by nails I8.

l9 denotes a transversely extending wall having a flange 20 at its baseby which it is supported, as by spot-welding, upon the top of thecounterflashing member I! and which unites the front edges of the lowersections I4 of the side members, forming an angle of substantially witha plane including the lower edges of said side members, the lateral endsof the wall I9 being secured to the fronts of the sections M, as byflanges 20 spot welded to the latter. The wall l9 forms a part of abaffle, the other part of which baflle is formed by a wall 2| whichextends forwardly from the top of the wall I!) and which is united tothe forward sections [4 of the side members, with its bottom preferablyin the plane of the bottom edges [4 of the said sections, but which wall21 terminates at a considerable distance forwardly from the verticalwall It, for a purpose to be explained. The wall 2| is attached to thesections M of the side members, as by means of flanges 2'2 spot weldedto the latter. a

From the flashing member l5, the cover or roof 23 of the ventilatorextends forwardly and then downwardly, being secured to the upper edgesof the rear and front sections l4 and I l of the side members andforming with the said front sections a front discharge hood. It will beseen that the side members can be considered to be provided withsymmetrical recesses, or cut out sections, extending rearwardly from thefront thereof to form overhanging front sections and that these recessesare united by the walls I9 and 2| and the screen 24. At its extremeforward end the cover is provided with a rearwardly extending flange 23which forms the front supporting member for a, screen 24 which extendsfrom one side member to the other, the rear end of the screen beingsupported upon the front of the Wall 2!, as by means of a metal strip 25having its front portion spaced from the front of the wall 22-to form apocket therewith for-the reception of the rear end of the screen andhaving its rear portion secured to said wall, as by spot welding.

The walls l9 and 2| of the baffle form an angle of approximately 90 witheach other, it having been found in practice that by the use of thisangular relation, eflicient results have been obtained in preventingmoisture, in the form of rain, snow or sleet, from being driven throughthe screen 24 by strong winds blowing upwardly along the roof in whichthe ventilator is installed and that the winds or currents of air whichare delivered in a direction substantially parallel with the roof arelargely deflected laterally by the open-ended pqchet formed by thebaiiie members l9 and 2| and the portion of the roof therebelow, andthat only a very small pro-. portion of such strong winds or currents ofair will pass through the screen and into the ventilator body. I havefound that even better results are obtained by making the angle betweenthese walls slightly acute whereby the wall 2| extends forwardly fromthe, wall IQ and slightly toward the plane of the flashing l8 and of theportion of the roof to whichv the ventilator is secured. In practice theangle between these walls has been approximately 37 instead of 90, andthis angular relation between the walls has enabled the, bailleformedthereby to cooperate most effectively, in connection with the portion ofthe roof-beneath the l 2 l and the location of -the outlet opening fromthe ventilator and the location of; the screen 24, in obtaining anormally free outward circulation of air from the roof-Opening and alsoin minimizing the admission of rain, snow, or other moisture content ofthe airimpelled by strong winds blowing upwardly along thereof on whichtheventilator may be installe Having thus described by invention, what Iclaim is:

1;. A ventilator of thecharacter described comprisingsidemembers eachhaving an upper edge extending forwardly and upwardly from the rear endthereof and thence forwardly and downwardly-and each having a recessextending rearwardly from the front end thereof and defined by arearwardly extending bottom edge of the upper front portion merging atits rear end with the upper end of the front edge of the rear portion ofsaid side member which front edge extendsdownwardly from the point ofmerger, the said recesses being symmetrical, a bafile formed by a wallextending across the last mentioned edges of the recesses and alsoextending substantially the full width of the ventilator and awallconnectedat itsrear end to the upperlend f the s mention all and rte diner the rearwardportion of thebottom edges of the f nt ds f h e e es ndls extending stantially the full width of the ventilator with itsfrentspaced from the front ends of the front portions of the, side members, acover member sec rjee'w the top edges of the side members and extendingto the front ends of the latter and forming therewith a forwardly anddownwardly extending hood, and a screen interposed and supported betweenthe front of the second baffle wall andthe front ends of the upperportions of the' side walls and the front end of the said cover memberand extending the full width of the ventilator.

2. In the ventilator set. forth in claim. 1, the top edges of thesidemembers being upwardly convexlycurved above theseoond wall andthescreen whereby the front of the cover will form an upwardly convex hoodwith the screened outlet located in the front of said hood while thewalls form an angular baffle at the rear of said outlet.

3. In the ventilator set forth in claim 1, the top edges of the sidemembers being upwardly convexly curved above the second wall and thescreen whereby the front of the. cover will form a hood with thescreened outlet, located substantially parallel to the lower edges ofthe side members and in the front of said hood, and the bottom edges ofthe upper front portions of the side members being substantially atright angles to the front edges of the lower rear portions of the sidemembers, whereby the walls secured to i said edges form; abafile thefront and rear members whereof are at substantially right angles to eachother, which bafile defines a bafile or ventilator surface immediatelyadjacent the ventilator outlet.

4. In the ventilator set forth in claim 1, the top edges of, the side vmembersv beingv upwardly convexly curved above the second wall and thescreen whereby the front of the cover will, form a hood with thescreened, Outlet located within the front of said hood, and the bottomedges of the upper front portions, of the sidemembers being slightlyinclinedrearwardly toward the front edges of the. lower rear portions ofthe side members, whereby the walls securedto said edges form a 'bafiiethe front and rear members whereof form an anglewith each otherofslightly less thanQO".

5. In. theventilator; set forth. in claim 1, the top edges of, the.side: members being upwardly convexly curved above the second wall, andthe screen whereby the front of the cover will form a hood with thescreened outletlocated within the front of said hood while thewallsiforrn, an angular baffle-at the rear of said outlet, a frontflashing member, supported at the bottoms of the downwardly, extendingedgesofthe fronts of the rear portions of the side memberaaoounter flahin m m r ec r 9. h rom la h n em r and x endin upwardl a d. forwardly hf m tq rm a packet. for a or ion of a course shin les n he bas or hfirst mentioned wall extending to, and; being suppo ed ha min e fla inmembe A i to -of; t e haract sp ci iedacom prising side and rearflashing members adapted to be secured to the shingle supporting membersof a slanting roof, side members comprising each a rear section securedat its bottom to the respective side flashing member and extendingupwardly therefrom and forwardly, and. upwardly from the rearfiashingmember and a, front section secured to theupper portion; ofeachrear section and extending forwardly, and upwardly and forwardly anddownwardly therefrom and the front sectionsproviding with theirrespective rear sections rearwardly extending symmetrical recesses, eachof said recessesbeing defined by the front end of a rear section whichis sub.- stantially normal to and extends upwardly from the respectivesideflashing member and which merges at its upper end with the portionofthe bottom of, the front section which extends forwardly, therefrom, acover member extending forwardly and: upwardly from the rear flashingmember and secured to thetops of'the sidemembers, a wallconnecting thefront ends of the rear sectionsv of the side members and beingsubstantially coextensive inwidth with. the height of saidends,awall-extending forwardlyfrom-the upper end of the first mentioned walland connecting the bottoms of the front sections of the side members,the front end of said cover member projecting beyond the front end ofthe second wall with its end in substantially the plane thereof andforming a discharge outlet with the second wall and with the sides ofthe front sections of the side member, a screen supported between thefront end of the cover member and the front end of the second wall, anda flashing member secured to the bottoms of the front ends of the rearsections of the side members and extending forwardly therefrom beneaththe first mentioned wall.

7. A ventilator of the character specified comprising side and rearflashing members adapted to be secured to the shingle supporting membersof a slanting roof, side members comprising each a rear section securedat its bottom to the respective side flashing member and an overhangingfront section having a lower surface vertically above but offset fromand substantially parallel to the lower surface of the said rearsection, said rear section having exposed front edges, a cover memberassociated with said rear flashing member and secured to the top edgesof said side members, a wall secured to and extending between theexposed front edges of said rear sections and completely covering same,a wall associated with the upper end of said first wall and secured toand extending between the lower surfaces of the said front sections ofsaid side members, said second wall extending about one half the lengthof said overhanging front sections, and a screen secured to and betweenthe bottom edges of said overhanging front sections to form a completelyenclosed air passageway in the ventilator whereby air must flow in underthe overhanging portion thereof and then vertically upwardly throughsaid screen to enter the ventilator,

8. A ventilator of the character specified comprising side and rearflashing means adapted to be secured to a slanting roof, a pair of sidemembers each having a rear section secured at its lower edge to therespective side flashing means in spaced but parallel relation and anoverhanging front section having a lower surface vertically above butoffset from and substantially parallel to the lower surface of the saidrear section to expose front edges of said rear sections, a cover memberassociated with said rear flashing member and secured to the top edgesof said side members, a wall secured to and extending between the frontedges of said rear sections and completely covering same, a wallpositioned against the upper end of said first wall and secured to andextending between the lower edges of the said front sections of saidside members, said second named wall exposing a portion of the areabetween the lower edges of said front sections, and a screen associatedwith said second named wall and the lower edges of said overhangingfront sections to cover the exposed area therebetween to form an airopening in the ventilator whereby air must flow into the ventilatorunder the overhanging front portion thereof and then vertically upwardlythrough said screen to enter the ventilator.

9. In the ventilator as described in claim 7, said second named wallbeing associated with said first named wall and being inclineddownwardly towards the plane defined by the lower edges of said rearsections so as to form an exposed angle between said walls of slightlyless than GEORGE W. DONLE'Y.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,264,056 Geibig Apr. 23, 19181,742,185 Bourke Jan. 7, 1930 2,300,842 Leslie Nov. 3, 1942 2,363,879Leslie Nov. 28, 1944 2,382,076 Leslie Aug. 14, 1945

